PM Modi to lead yoga session at UNHQ on June 21

In a historic commemoration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a yoga session for the first time at UN Headquarters here on the 9th International Day of Yoga to be celebrated on June 21.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga. Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.

"On the occasion of the 9th International Day of Yoga, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations cordially invites you to join a Yoga session led by H. E. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi," an advisory for the event said.

Nine years after Prime Minister Modi had first proposed from the UN General Assembly podium to mark International Yoga Day as an annual commemoration, the Indian leader will for the first time be at the UN Headquarters to lead the yoga session in a historic commemoration of the day.

The Yoga session will run from 8 am - 9 am on June 21 at the expansive North Lawn in the UN Headquarters, where a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift from India to the UN, was installed in December last year during the country's Presidency of the UN Security Council.

The historic yoga session is expected to be attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community. The advisory encourages guests and attendees to wear Yoga-friendly attire for the special session and added that Yoga mats will be provided during the session.

"Welcome to take it home as a souvenir," it said.

"I am looking forward to participating in the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations @UN with Prime Minister @NarendraModi at the UNHQ North Lawn next week," President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly Csaba Korosi said in a tweet Thursday.

The tweet accompanies a photograph of Korosi with PM Modi.

The first International Day of Yoga was commemorated in 2015 and has since then been marked with several sessions and events highlighting the benefits and universal appeal of Yoga at the UN, Times Square and iconic locations across the world.

The UN underlined that Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word yoga' derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

The draft UNGA resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.

The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: "Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action ... a holistic approach (that) is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature."

The resolution notes "the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health."

On this, the World Health Organisation has also urged its member states to help their citizens reduce physical inactivity, which is among the top ten leading causes of death worldwide, and a key risk factor for non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes, the UN said.

"So proud of India's impact in the World. From Yoga to cuisine to technology to education to science to arts to entertainment...and beyond," Michelin-star chef, author, filmmaker and entrepreneur Vikas Khanna said in a tweet, welcoming Prime Minister Modi, who will head from New York to Washington DC on June 21 for his first Official State Visit on June 22.

"As an Indian living in America for the last almost 25 years, I am really honoured by Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US. He has been a bridge between the two greatest democracies in the world. At the same time, he has given us opportunities, he has given us a voice and also given us the pride to represent our country in America," Khanna said in a video message accompanying his tweet.

Khanna said he is "really looking forward" to the visit and also be "inspired to present India in its highest glory to the world."

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

Modi will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.